Essay On Texas Government

The executive branch consists of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Land Commissioner, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner, the three-member Texas Railroad Commission, the State Board of Education, and the Secretary of State. Texas has a plural executive branch system, which limits the power of the Governor. Except for the Secretary of State, all executive officers are elected independently, making them directly answerable to the public but not the Governor. The executive branch also includes several boards and commissions that are made up of a mixture of elections and gubernatorial appointments confirmed by the Senate. In addition, there are many independent boards, commissions, and agencies that operate independently of the governor. Power is decentralized among many officials. Although the governor appoints over 3,000 individuals to 285-plus state boards and commissions, he has very limited removal authority and thus, has little control over the executive branch. Even with the Governor appointing several members of boards and commissions, the overall effect is a large network of administrative groups that neither the

Texas has all three political cultures all over the state, but when people outside of

There are many different opinions on how much power the governor of Texas should have than other states. Some people debate on whether Texas government should have a singular executive instead of plural executive. There are pros and cons of having a plural executive model and at times they believe that it can be more democratic than the single executive model. The governor’s power is debated about whether or not they have not enough or too much power with governing the state of Texas.

Constitutions are a necessary tool in keeping a Nation running in a smooth manner. One is also necessary in keeping the components, which are states, running in an ordered way. The constitution of Texas has a long historical trail from 1827 to 1876 and there are many events that occurred during this time period. The current Texas constitution has many strengths and weaknesses and there have been revisions made to this document. This document limits the way government can be involved in certain problems that arise in Texas. The Texas constitution is a document with positives and negatives but it is definitely a necessity.

In contrast, the Texas State Senate has its focus on the Upper House of the Texas State Legislature. The Senate consists of 31 members, who represent single-member districts settled in Texas. The latest studies confirm that each individual district has an average of 806.000 civilians. Each term a member serves last for four years. Similarly, to the House, the senate has no term limits. The person who leads the Senate is the Lieutenant Governor of Texas. The Lieutenant Governor is considered to many to be more influential. In 2013, the 83rd Legislative Session occurred and six new senators were added to the

Texas Legislature met for the 85th time last spring since statehood. The Texas Legislature passed several laws from State budget, protecting children, schools, sanctuary cities, and many more, at the same time some laws where not passed.

Our government here in Texas has three major parts that play a significant part in our decision making process. These levels

In my analysis of the Texas Constitution I will assess the three branches of our State Government, the Legislative Branch, Executive Branch and finally the Judicial Branch. Our State Government resembles our National Government in various ways but also in very different ways which we will review in this essay. I will identify a handful of criticisms and problems associated with the provisions in each of these branches of our State Government and identify suggested reforms that many feel are needed.

The core function of the Texas Legislature is to formulate and enact laws. Apart from the enactment of laws, the legislative body is also mandated with the functions of shaping the state’s political agenda, performing checks and balances on state of the state’s government, pass the state’s budget, as well as oversee the functions of the administration. Similarly, the body also sets the critical details or a court’s organizational procedures when it comes to matters that pertain to impeachment and court disputes regarding election petitions. It is equally important to mention that the body is also mandated with the function of informing and educating the electorate regarding the critical functions the body is required to deliver to the people as provided for by the laws of the State of Texas (Dautrich and Yalof 684).

First is the executive branch. The executive branch is often referred to as a “plural executive” because many of the offices in that branch of government are elected directly by Texas voters. The Executive Department of the State is composed of the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Comptroller of Public Accounts, the Commissioner of the General Land Office, the Attorney General and the Secretary of State, all of whom are elected except the Secretary of State (who is appointed by the Governor). The current governor of Texas (48th) is Republican Greg Abbott, a former lawyer and former Attorney General. In order to be the governor of Texas, one must be at least 30 years of age, a US citizen, a registered voter, and must be living in Texas for at least the last 5 years. Being Governor is a 4 year term with no term limits and is a full time job with a salary of $150,000 per year. The Governor has powers including some law enforcement powers, some military powers, the title of “Head of State” who gives the State of the State Address, can appoint department heads like the department head of Park and Wildlife and Department of Transportation, and he

Presiding Officers are the highest officers and leaders of an organized group such as a board committee, or deliberative assembly. For the Texas Senate, the presiding officer is Lieutenant Governor. As Lieutenant Governor, they are a Hybrid Official with a 4 year term. They are elected in a partisan statewide election and they get paid $7,200 annually. The current Lieutenant Governor of Texas, is Dan Patrick (42nd). Dan Patrick is a Republican and a Baptist. He is also a radio talk show host. For the Texas House of Representatives, the presiding officer is the Speaker of the House. The Speaker of the House serves a 2 year term, is an elected member of the TX House and is selected by members of the House. The current Speaker of the House is Joe Straus.

Our government here in Texas has three major parts that play a significant part in our decision making process. These levels

The Texas executive branch is composed of seven members called the plural executive who all have different duties which are the governor, lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the commissioner of agriculture, the comptroller of public accounts, the commissioner of the General Land Office, and the secretary of state. Out of all the seven individuals the Texas people vote for six of them while the governor appoints the secretary of state. There are also two major agencies which are The Railroad Commission who allows three members in it and the State Board of Education which has fifteen members in its agency. Like any other state branches or even the US government has their pros and cons not one person feels like everything is well organized.

When most people think of Texas, they immediately think of how big the state is, and sometimes the misconception is that it is the biggest state when it actually is not. However, there is more to the state than its size. Texas is populated with a majority of racial minorities, governed by the most limited government that follows a very minimalist model. In Erica Grieder’s Big, Hot, Cheap, and Right: What American Can Learn from the Strange Genius of Texas, she points out that the genius behind Texas is the model it lives which calls for low taxes and minimal services, a limited government constructed from prior disdain of the federal government, and the creation of a business friendly state that helps stimulate the growth in economy and in population; and though each carry their own disadvantages, Texas seems to find a way to teach America something.

According to a recent poll, 70 percent of Texas residents say that they are proud of their state and rank it among the best places to live. One of the most striking features about the poll was that the residents of the Lone Star State ranked their trust in local and state government significantly higher than 88 percent of residents in all other states (Aasen, 20014). The Texas legislature is so efficient in its tasks that it meets less than any other legislature in the United States. Coming from a Southeastern state, this trust in government is a concept that is quite unfamiliar to me.